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EU Member States Back Restricting Glyphosate

The conditions include minimising the world's most widely used pesticide near public parks and playground.

EU member states have voted in favour of a proposal by the European Commission to restrict the use of glyphosate in the EU.

In the committee on plants, animals, food and feed, EU member states voted in favour of introducing restrictions on the use of glyphosate.

These conditions include a ban on a co-formulant (POE-tallowamine) from glyphosate-based products, obligations to reinforce scrutiny of pre-harvest use of glyphosate, as well as to minimise its use in specific areas, such as public parks and playgrounds.

The proposal was made in parallel with the extension of the approval of the active substance for a limited time and it will apply for the duration of that extension, until the European Agency for Chemical Products (ECHA) issues its opinion on glyphosate.

ECHA has opened a public consultation on glyphosate in preparation for its report. It is inviting comments online until 18 July.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament’s Environment committee rejected a proposal by some MEPs to block the 18-month extension of glyphosate's approval. "The development indicates a deeper questioning by legislators of commonly used agricultural insecticides and pesticides, but this questioning must be based on scientific evidence," said Fine Gael MEP and European Parliament Vice-President Mairead McGuinness.

There have been conflicting scientific reports into the potential health effects of glyphosate, with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluding that “it is unlikely that this substance is carcinogenic”.